Fifa officials arrested in Zurich on corruption charges ahead of presidential vote May 27, 2015 A number of top Fifa officials have been arrested in Zurich on corruption charges brought by the United States Justice Department. More than a dozen plain clothed Swiss policeman swept into the five star Baur au Lac hotel in the early hours of the morning, where several officials were believed to be staying ahead of this [...]
Fifa’s trip to Qatar 2022 a nightmare series of publicity own-goals – Brand Index May 26, 2015 A fresh investigation into migrant worker conditions in Qatar landed BBC reporters in prison recently. It is another case of extremely bad PR and negative news for Fifa and the host country of the 2022 World Cup Finals. The tournament has been beset by controversy and murky stories. The date of the event [...]
Qatar 2022: Fifa World Cup sponsors Visa and Coca-Cola express “grave concerns” over migrant workers’ conditions May 20, 2015 World Cup sponsors Visa and Coca-Cola have expressed concerns over conditions facing migrant workers constructing projects for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Visa said it had "grave concerns", and said it was "troubled by the reports coming out of Qatar related to the World Cup and migrant worker conditions". "We have expressed our grave concern [...]
Qatar accused of being a “slave state” as pressure campaign on Fifa sponsors is launched May 18, 2015 Qatar has been accused of being a "slave state" at the launch of a campaign from international workers unions, pressure groups and the sportswear company Skins demanding Fifa's sponsors challenge human rights abuses at World Cup construction sites in the gulf state. Figures from Skins, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the UK's Trade Union [...]
Qatar to host fans on cruise ships during 2022 World Cup to satisfy Fifa’s hotel demand April 20, 2015 Qatar may be forced into accommodating football fans at the World Cup on cruise ships in order to meet the hotel room demand. The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) announced this weekend at a cruise shipping convention that it would be contracting rooms from liners during the World Cup period as a "means of additional accommodation". [...]
Fifa world rankings: Wales’ staggering performance against the odds summed up in two charts April 9, 2015 Wales' football team have risen to their highest ever Fifa world ranking thanks to a strong start to their quest for qualification for Euro 2016. Rising to 22nd in the world, Wales are now ranked above countries such as the Ivory Coast, Russia, USA, Australia and Ghana. After winning three of five games in Euro [...]
Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup final to be held on Qatar national day March 19, 2015 The 2022 World Cup Final in Qatar will be held on Sunday 18 December, Fifa executives are reported to have agreed today. Football’s biggest fixture will therefore coincide with Qatar National Day, the annual celebration of Qatar’s independence. There had been some speculation that Fifa would choose to host the game on [...]
Fifa refuses clubs World Cup compensation February 25, 2015 WORLD governing body Fifa has stoked its row with European clubs over switching the Qatar 2022 World Cup from summer to winter, insisting they will not be compensated for disruption to their schedules. Confirming that 23 December was the likely date for the final and that the tournament would be reduced in duration from 32 [...]
World Cup at Christmas? Fifa taskforce officially recommends 2022 winter tournament February 24, 2015 Christmas in 2022 could have tinsel replaced by tiki-taka, mince pies trumped by Mourinho or a trip to the pantomime swapped for what is becoming an even more ridiculous show – the Qatar Fifa World Cup. Fifa's Task Force has officially recommended November/end-December as "the most viable period" for the tournament, following a six-month consultation [...]
Five key points from Luis Figo’s Fifa presidency manifesto February 19, 2015 Luis Figo has unveiled his plan to fix Fifa. The former Real Madrid and Barcelona star is standing as a candidate to replace Sepp Blatter as Fifa president in this year's May election. Football fans around the world are hoping for a fresh face in charge of football's governing body as Blatter's reign has become [...]